4.2.1.4.4 Descriptive Information

The Information Objects described previously in this section provide the information necessary to enable the Long Term Preservation function of the Archive. In addition to preserving information, the OAIS must provide adequate features to allow Consumers to locate information of potential interest, analyze that information, and order desired information. This is accomplished through a specialization of the Information Object called Descriptive Information, which contains the data that serves as the input to documents or applications called Access Aids. The Descriptive Information is generally derived from the Content Information and PDI. The Descriptive Information can be viewed as an index to enable efficient access to the associated Information Package via associated Access Aids. Access Aids are documents or applications that can be used to locate, analyze, retrieve, or order information from the OAIS.

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